Tom Clonan (Independent)

I raise the difference between political ambition and political entitlement. It has come very much to the fore during this presidential campaign. Ambition is when you are not happy with the state of affairs and the status quo and not happy with your role and status in life. To change that situation, though, you put the work in. We have seen two candidates who have put considerable work in over the past number of weeks. It is a bruising contest. Entitlement, then, is when someone is not happy with the status quo, but it is everyone else's fault. During this presidential election campaign, unfortunately, we have seen a growing number of voices and a clamour for those who feel that somehow they should be entitled to be on the ballot without having actually done the work. Those voices, with their growing anger, discontent and disrespect for our democratic processes, are now asking us to spoil the vote. I find that reprehensible and unacceptable. I will tell the House why.

Today, I hosted a group of disabled citizens in Buswells Hotel who are advocating for their role and status in society. Some of them have to be lifted out of bed in the morning, hoisted, toileted and dressed, yet they got in here to make their point in a respectful manner. In The Helix in DCU last week, we had dozens of disabled citizens and carers. Despite the enormous challenges they face, they came in to participate in our democratic process. Now, I do not agree with many of the positions put forward by some of the candidates but I respect each and every one of them and I wish them well in this contest. I noticed last night on Virgin Media how tired Heather Humphreys looked and I have seen over the last couple of weeks how tired Deputy Catherine Connolly is. There is a cohort of would-be candidates here, though, who did not put in the footwork and did not canvass sufficiently to get their signatures. We all know, every single one of us, including the Cathaoirleach and the Leader, that the calculus of numbers is harsh.If you do not have the numbers then you do not get to sit on this seat. You do not get to represent the people who put us here. There is a growing authoritarian and coercive voice in Irish society, which transplants onto the right, that is demanding that we subvert our democratic processes and that is demanding that we spoil the vote. After this presidential election, whatever the outcome, I would like to see a debate in this Chamber about the language and the vocabulary that we need to mobilise to protect these Houses and our democratic processes.